Steering rig for outboard motors



July 5, 1966 w. H. SCHULER 3,259,094

STEERING RIG FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Feb. 2, 1965 WALL/QM H, SCHULEE I NVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS United Steering rigs heretofore employed for steering outboard motors attached to a boat have followed substantially conventional patterns. The customary way is to provide two cables extending from the steering wheel toward the stern of the boat on respectively opposite sides and to attach each cable separately to the outboard motor by means of an appropriate idler pulley, and then to the stern of the boat, so that upon manipulation of the wheel the entire outboard motor is pivoted upon its mount toward either starboard or port. In rigs of this kind, each cable must be separately handled and separately mounted and there is no compensating element between them. Making a balanced tension on the cables is always a problem. Also because of the separate mounting there is invariably appreciable slack in the rig so that the motor does not respond immediately to a turn of the wheel. Since, furthermore, the two separate idler pulleys are located at a distance from the pivot point of the motor and on opposite sides removed an appreciable distance from fore and aft alignment, considerable effort is also needed to swing the motor in one direction or another.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved steering rig for outboard motors which produces an improved and immediate response of the motor to motion of the steering wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved steering rig for outboard motors which, although incorporating apparatus promoting an immediate and dependable response to the motor to the wheel, is at the same time constructed of equipment familiar to boatmen and accordingly, to provide a very acceptable innovation for those familiar with conventional rigs.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved steering rig for an outboard motor which is simple and compact, consisting of relatively few parts, and which also is so constructed that there is minimum of prospect of fouling of the rig under adverse circumstances.

Another object still, of the invention is to provide a new and improved steering rig for outboard motors which is of such construction that it can be easily installed upon virtually any commercial motor, which is rugged and dependable once installed, and is exceptionally inexpensive because of the small number of parts numbering in fact fewer parts than those on conventional rigs.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a boat having an outboard motor thereon and equipped with the steering rig.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical elevational view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

--FIGURES 3 and 4.

In an embodiment of the invention which has been chosen primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principle involved, there is shown a boat indicated generally by the reference character 10, having a starboard side 11, a port side 12, a transom 13, and abottom 14. An outboard motor indicated generally by the reference character 15 includes a block 16 anchored to a clamp 17 secured to the transom 13 by screws 18. A chassis 20 of the outboard motor is pivotally mounted upon the block 16 by means of a pivot shaft 21 which becomes the pivot point of the motor. The motor is designed to swing or pivot toward the starboard or port about the pivot shaft in order to steer the boat and give it direction, whether the motor is being operated in forward or reverse direction.

The boat is provided with a steering wheel 22 which operates a steering drum 23, there being provided on the steering drum a starboard cable 24 and a port cable 25.

On the motor there may be provided a structure which for convenience may be described as a handle 26 extending transversely relative to the motor. To this is attached a bracket indicated generally by the reference character 27, consisting of a central portion 28 and arms 29 and 30, the arms being provided with recesses 31 for the accommodation of the handle 26 so that the bracket 27 may be anchored in position on the handle 26 by means of a bolt 32.

A horizontal portion or plate 33 of the bracket 27 provides a mount or support for an idler shaft 34 which extends in a vertical direction and is attached by appropriate means, as for example, a nut 35 to the portion or plate 33 of the bracket 27.

On the idler shaft 34 is a pair of idler pulleys 36 and 37 respectively which may rotate or idle freely upon the idler shaft 34.

A guard arm indicated generally by the reference character 40 includes a central portion 41 pivotally retained upon the idler shaft 34 by means of a nut 42. On the guard arm 40 are retainer elements 43 and 44 respectively which overlie both of the pulleys 36 and 37 in a position such as to retain upon the pulleys cables such as the port and starboard cables 25 and 24 so that they can not slip from the pulleys 36 and 37. The retainer elements may be curved as shown in FIGURE 5 so as to more easily guide the respective cable on to and off of the respective pulleys 36 and 37.

It is significant that the axis of rotation of the idler shaft 34 is in longitudinal alignment with the pivot shaft 21 or, in other words, in the center line of the boat between the pivot shaft 21 and the bow (not shown) of the boat.

For making use of the device the starboard cable 24 extends over idler pulleys 45 and 46 until it is engaged by the pulley 37 and ultimately through a spring connection 47 to a bracket 47 on the starboard side 11 of the boat 10 adjacent the transom 13. Similarly on the opposite side the port cable 25 extends over idler pulleys 48 and 49, thence over the pulley 37 and ultimately through a spring connection 50 to a fastener 51 on the port side 12 of the boat 10.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the starboard cable 24 extends from the drum 23 along the starboard side of the boat until it engages, for example, the pulley 36, the drum which it is connected to, the spring connection 47 and its fastener 47'. 7

On the opposite side the port cable 25 extending over idler pulleys 52 and 53 is ultimately led to the pulley 37 around which the cable is reeved and ultimately fastened through the spring connection 50 to the fastener 51 on the side 12 of the boat adjacent the respective end of the transom 13.

It is significant to note that although the pivotal mounting of the motor is in one specific location the attachment of the bracket 27 and appropriate pulleys 36 and 37 is preferably in longitudinal axial alignment between the pivot shaft 21 and the bow of the boat (not shown). From this position it will be clear that by rotating the steering wheel 22 of the boat 10 in one direction, as for example, to shorten the starboard cable 24 in order to turn the craft in a corresponding direction the starboard cable 24 is tightened upon, but at the same time the port cable 25 is released. Action, of course, at all times is through the idler shaft 34 which is in longitudinal alignment between the center of the pivot shaft 21 and the bow of the boat (not shown).

The axes of the respective pulleys 36 and 37 likewise being in alignment with the center rotation of the pivot shaft 21 is very advantageous in making use of pull upon the respective starboard cable 24 and port cable 25 so that the orientation of the outboard motor 15 is immediately reflected by the degree of rotation of the steering wheel 22 in either direction of rotation.

The bracket and attached pulley wheels act as a unit of substantially simple construction thereby providing predetermined locations for engagement with the respective cables 24, 25. Because of the relative shortness of the cables 24, 25, wherein tension is governed by appropriate spring connections at the special connection 47 in one instance and 50 in the other instance all slack in the respective cables may be effectively taken up so that the degree of rotation of the motor 15 is immediately and directly responsive to rotation of the steering wheel 22 in one direction or the other.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the bracket 27 may be appropriately attached to any handle for virtually any outboard motor, like the motor 15, so that the pair of axially aligned idler pulleys 36 and 37 respectively are in longitudinal alignment between the pivot shaft 21 and the bow of the boat (not shown). This, of course, is the center line of the boat. Motor rotation is immediately responsive to rotation of the steering wheel 22 in a selected direction toward the right or toward the left. The result is immediate tensioning in the respective cable thereby tending to pull the outboard motor 15 rotating about its pivot shaft 21 in one selected direction or the other, depending on the direction of rotation of the steering wheel 22.

By reason of the fact that the center of rotation of the idler shaft 34 and pulleys 36 and 37 is in the axial alignment shown, and of course spaced only a relatively short distance from the center of rotation of the pivot shaft 21. Movement of the steering wheel 22 is immediately translated into movement of the center of rotation of the idle shaft 34 in one direction or the other depending on the direction of rotation of the wheel 22. Since the idler pulleys 36 and 37 for the respective starboard and port sides of the boat are immediately responsive to and directly connected between the drum 23 and the respective spring connection 47 or 50 as the case may be, the angular position of the motor 15 may be shifted by relatively light increments to the starboard side or the port side steering. By having the cables 24, 25 of the substantially accurate length there is no more slack present than is needed to produce a simple turn of the respective cable about the pulley 36 or pulley 37 whereby to make the direction of orientation of the motor 15 immediately available to and reflect the position of the steering wheel 22 of the boat 10.

From the foregoing description irrespective of the relative length of the cables 24 and 25 and because of the aligned location of the axis of rotation of the idler pulleys 36 and 37 and location of the idler shaft 34 on the center line of the boat the direction of rotation or pivoting of the motor 1. .iS the immediate result of rotation of the steering Wheel 22 in one appropriate direction or the other. The spring connections of course, as for example the connections 50 and 47, are designed to incorporate resilience in the tension existent in the respective starboard cable 34 and port cable 35 so that there will always be the proper amount of response in the motor 15 to rotation of the steering wheel 22.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that by location both of the pulleys 36 and 37 for the respective starboard and port cables on the same center of rotation and by making this center of rotation in longitudinal alignment With the center of rotation of the pivot shaft 21 of the outboard motor 15 there is immediate response of the motor 15 to manipulation of the steering wheel 22. Furthermore, because the pulleys 36 and 37 are assembled as a unit upon the bracket 27 the entire steering rig is inherently incorporated in the bracket 27 and its appurtenances to the extent that the bracket 27 can be installed upon virtually any motor and the cables adjusted accordingly to take advantage of the unique steering principle involved in the axial alignment of the pulleys 36 and 37.

Apparently from the description, the steering rig can be incorporated in any kind of a motor to which the bracket 27 can be attached in a relatively central location. A careful and well-controlled steering control is therefore built into a rig of the kind described.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A steering rig for a boat having an out-board motor and a pivot mount for said motor on the transom of said boat, said rig comprising, in combination, a bracket on said motor in fore and aft alignment with said'pivot mount, said pivot mount passing vertically through the longitudinal centerline of said boat, a vertical idler shaft disposed on said bracket, .two idler pulleys rotatably mounted on said shaft, a steering drum rotatably mounted on said boat, the axis of said drum being disposed substantially parallel to the centerline of said boat, respective starboard and port steering cables operatively coupled to said drum and extending transversely outwardly from the opposite sides thereof, fore and aft idler pulley means operatively mounted on each side of said boat intermediate said steering drum and said motor for receiving said respective starboard and port steering cables in guided relationship therewith, one of said cables extending transversely inwardly toward said bracket from the corresponding one of said aft pulley means and being reeved over one of said pulleys and secured to the starboard side of the boat, the other of said cables extending transversely inwardly toward said bracket from the corresponding one of said aft pulley means and being reeved over the other of said pulleys and secured to the port side of the boat, and means mechanically coupling the ends of said starboard and port steering cables to the respective starboard and port sides of said boat in spring tension relationship therewith whereby said motor is rotated about said pivot mount by operation of said steering drum to selectively steer said boat.

2. The steering rig in accordance with claim 1 further characterized in that said bracket includes a guard arm rotatably mounted on said vertical idler shaft with said two idler pulleys disposed therebetween, said guard arm including at'both ends thereof an upstanding retainer element overlying said two idler pulleys at the grooves thereof, the space between each of said retainer elements and the adjacent peripheral portion of said two idler pulleys being less than the thickness of said steering cables, said steering cables coacting with said retainer elements in operative disposition to constrain said guard 5 6 arm in substantially parallel relationship with the center- References Cited by the Examiner line of said boat and to retain said steering cable on said Popular Science, July 1952 175.

two idler pulleys.

3. The steering rig in accordance With claim 2 further MILTON BUCHLER Primary Examiner characterized in that said two idler pulleys comprise a 5 double groove pulley, ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

1. A STEERING RIG FOR A BOAT HAVING AN OUTBOARD MOTOR AND A PIVOT MOUNT FOR SAID MOTOR ON THE TRANSOM OF SAID BOAT, SAID RIG COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BRACKET ON SAID MOTOR IN FORE AND AFT ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PIVOT MOUNT, SAID PIVOT MOUNT PASSING VERTICALLY THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF SAID BOAT, A VERTICAL IDLER SHAFT DISPOSED ON SAID BRACKET, TWO IDLER PULLEYS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, A STEERING DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BOAT, THE AXIS OF SAID DRUM BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE CENTERLINE OF SAID BOAT, RESPECTIVE STARBOARD AND PORT STEERING CABLES OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID DRUM AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OUTWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, FORE AND AFT IDLER PULLEY MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BOAT INTERMEDIATE SAID STEERING DRUM AND SAID MOTOR FOR RECEIVING SAID RESPECTIVE STARBOARD AND PORT STEERING CABLES IN GUIDED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, ONE OF SAID CABLES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY INWARDLY TOWARD SAID BRACKET FROM THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID AFT PULLEY MEANS AND BEING REEVED OVER ONE OF SAID PULLEYS AND SECURED TO THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE BOAT, THE OTHER OF SAID CABLES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY INWARDLY TOWARD SAID BRACKET FROM THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID AFT PULLEY AND MEANS AND BEING REEVED OVER THE OTHER OF SAID PULLEYS AND SECURED TO THE PORT SIDE OF THE BOAT, AND MEANS MECHANICALLY COUPLING THE ENDS OF SAID STARBOARD AND PORT STEERING CABLES TO THE RESPECTIVE STARBOARD AND PORT SIDES OF SAID BOAT IN SPRING TENSION RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH WHEREBY SAID MOTOR IS ROTATED ABOUT SAID PIVOT MOUNT BY OPERATION OF SAID STEERING DRUM TO SELECTIVELY STEER SAID BOAT. 